A woman told police Wednesday that she was sexually assaulted in a construction area near the Chicago Transit Authority's Morse Station along the Red Line.

The attack reportedly happened just before 6 a.m., in the 1300 block of W. Lunt Ave. Police say the victim, a woman in her 50s, told them she was being followed by the man shortly before the attack.

The incident has left many of those who live in the area on edge.

"Police are always around. I mean, they're always at every corner," said neighbor Tatiana Clacks.
"I'm really, really flabbergasted. I can't believe nobody would do anything like that. You think the north side is really, really safe."

The victim, who also had her purse stolen after the assault, was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Late Wednesday evening, police released still photos from CTA surveillance cameras of a man they're calling a "person of interest" in the case. The person in the photos is a black man in his 20s. He has a medium complexion and appears to stand about six feet tall and weigh about 200 pounds.

"This is extremely likely to help, and historically we have been aided by CTA still video footage that has been extremely successful in closing these crimes and solving them," said police Sgt. Mia Ogliore.

Anyone with information on the man's identity should call Chicago police.